motor cortex
Brain's action center
The motor cortex is the region of the brain that controls voluntary movement.
Located in the frontal lobe, it sends signals through the spinal cord to muscles throughout the body.
Different areas correspond to different body parts—the hand region, for instance, occupies disproportionate space given the fine motor control fingers require.
The stroke damaged her motor cortex, affecting movement on her left side.
Brain's decision-making center
- grey matterNeuronal cell body tissue
- neocortexHigher cognition brain region
- gyrusCerebral cortex ridge
- sulcusGroove in tissue
axon · dendrite · myelin · white matter · basal ganglia · thalamus · spinal cord · brainstem
Brain's self-rewiring ability
- reorganizationChanging how something's arranged
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- stroke recoveryHealing after brain vessel incident
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
Self-initiated bodily action
- muscle contractionFibers tensing and shortening
- hand controlSteering by arm input
- reachingExtending toward something
- graspingGreedy for wealth
One-sided bodily weakness
- paralysisLoss of muscle function
- strokeSudden brain blood blockage
- cerebral palsyNeurological disorder impairing motor function
- apraxiaVoluntary movement execution deficit
spasticity · Parkinson's · epilepsy · lesion · atrophy · weakness · tremor · dyskinesia
Magnetic neural activity imaging
- neuroimagingVisualizing nervous system structure
- electroencephalographyCerebral activity measurement technique
- brain stimulationActivating neural tissue artificially
- neural pathwaySignal route between neurons
frontal lobe
Brain's decision-making center
- grey matterNeuronal cell body tissue
- neocortexHigher cognition brain region
- gyrusCerebral cortex ridge
sulcus · axon · dendrite · myelin · white matter · basal ganglia · thalamus · spinal cord · brainstem
neuroplasticity
Brain's self-rewiring ability
- reorganizationChanging how something's arranged
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- stroke recoveryHealing after brain vessel incident
adaptation · skill acquisition · brain injury recovery · critical period
voluntary movement
Self-initiated bodily action
- muscle contractionFibers tensing and shortening
- hand controlSteering by arm input
- reachingExtending toward something
hemiparesis
One-sided bodily weakness
- paralysisLoss of muscle function
- strokeSudden brain blood blockage
- cerebral palsyNeurological disorder impairing motor function
apraxia · spasticity · Parkinson's · epilepsy · lesion · atrophy · weakness · tremor · dyskinesia · ALS
fMRI
Magnetic neural activity imaging
- neuroimagingVisualizing nervous system structure
- electroencephalographyCerebral activity measurement technique
- brain stimulationActivating neural tissue artificially
neural pathway · electrophysiology · brain-computer interface · PET scan
- brain anatomybrain, cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, neurons
- brain sciencebrain scan, brain research, brain map, brain imaging, brain chemistry
- neuroanatomybrain, cerebellum, thalamus, hypothalamus, brainstem
- neurologybrain, neuron, neurons, synapse, synapses
- neuroscienceneuron, MRI, brain, neurons, synapses
- brain partscerebellum, hippocampus, brainstem, thalamus, hypothalamus
motor cortexsensory cortex
Brain area processing senses
visual cortex · parietal lobe · occipital lobe · temporal lobe
motor cortexautonomic nervous system
Self-regulating bodily control network
brainstem · hypothalamus · spinal reflexes · medulla oblongata · sympathetic nervous system
motor cortexprefrontal cortex
Brain's planning and impulse center
autonomic nervous system · basal ganglia · cerebellum · spinal cord
motor, motors, motorist, motorized, motored, cortex, motorists, motoring, motorize